The Efficiency of the Retirement Income System in Australia During Financial Reforms

Abstract

This paper uses the Malmquist Productivity Index-type DEA technique to measure the efficiency levels in Australia's retirement income system over the period 2000-2005. It covers important segments of the industry focusing on the different fund types and analyses market dynamics under Australia's financial reforms of its pension system. The paper describes the competitive nature of the industry and provides an empirical analysis of the nature of the technical and scale efficiency and the factors driving these efficiencies and finds that overall, the reforms have had efficiency-enhancing effects. Contrary to popular theory, the paper also finds that a key driver of the changes in efficiency in the retirement income system in Australia include the government, which suggests that despite the number of financial reforms introduced since 1992, government interventions can still have positive influences on the country's pension system.